Connect with TRB

19TH CENTURY CAST-IRON BEAMS: THEIR DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND RELIABILITY

Many 19th century cast-iron beams are still in service in the UK, particularly in major public buildings in London, in textile mills and warehouses in northern England and in a variety of bridge structures. Their success is based on scientific study which laid the foundations for much of our present-day understanding of structures. This paper describes 19th century practice for the design, manufacture and testing of cast-iron beams and - by analysing contemporary reports of structural failures - shows that the decline in the use of cast-iron beams had less to do with mistrust of the material by engineers than is popularly believed.